Family Magic (34 page)

Jared’s face shone with relief. He went to
the passenger door and opened it for me. I climbed in with Meira
still in my arms and pulled the seatbelt over both of us. Jared
climbed in the driver’s side and started the engine.

“It won’t take long,” he said. “I’ll drive
fast.”

I tipped my head back against the seat,
feeling the tension drain from me as he hit the gas. This was
Jared, our Jared, Erica’s Jared, trusted, loved and my friend. We
were safe with him. I rubbed Meira’s back over and over as the
streetlights flashed by, emptying my mind, trying to rest.

I felt her body tense. She was still pressed
to me, her face over my shoulder. What I saw in her eyes made me
afraid.

“Syd,” she whispered. Her gaze flickered into
the back. I took a deep breath and braced myself. I looked quickly
before I lost my nerve.

A heavy wool blanket covered most of the
seat, but it was oddly shaped, almost lumpy. It took time for my
brain to recognize there was something under the covering,
something long and shaped like a person.

The next streetlight caught the gloss of
Erica’s staring eyes. I couldn’t help myself. I started to
scream.

***

I would have kept screaming, until my mind
went, until I couldn’t breathe. It was too much, way too much. I
went through hell and found myself right back in it. For the first
time since the whole thing started I fell apart and let myself
go.

I don’t know if I would have gotten myself
stopped if Jared hadn’t snapped me out of it.

He jerked the wheel hard to the left, digging
the seatbelt into me, throwing me into the car door.

“Syd!” He yelled. “Stop!”

I did. The final betrayer was Jared. It had
been Jared all along. He had the good grace to look
embarrassed.

“Hold it together,” he snapped.

I started to laugh, a choking sound torn from
my sore lungs and throat.

“You’re kidding, right?” I said. “You’re
really freaking kidding me.”

“I’m sorry, Syd. But, there are bigger things
happening here than you know about. Darker things. And I haven’t
had a choice from the moment it all started.”

“We always have a choice,” Meira whispered.
I, for one, agreed with her.

“That’s right, Jared,” I said. “Only cowards
use that excuse.”

His face twisted with something I didn’t
recognize. His hands flexed on the wheel so hard his fingers went
white. But when he spoke, his voice held steady.

“You can think what you want,” he said. “But
it doesn’t change the fact I have to give you up to them. The
decision’s been made. I’m sorry.”

He seemed to be saying that a lot. “Sure you
are,” I said. How had I been so stupid, so blind?

“You have no idea,” he replied, so softly I
almost missed it.

He slowed at a stop sign. I reached for the
door handle. He sped up again, running it. He shot me a glare that
said he knew what I was thinking.

“Don’t bother,” he said. “The doors are
locked from my side.”

Crap. I hadn’t noticed when he did that. I
gritted my teeth.

“Where are we really going?” I asked him.

“To the site,” he said.

Meira’s eyes were huge. “Is she dead?” Her
voice was barely a whisper. She refused to look at the back
seat.

Jared tried his charming routine. I would
never trust a smile like that again for the rest of my life.

“Just asleep,” he said. “Honest.”

I reached out anyway and felt some relief at
the steady
da-dum
of Erica’s heart.

I knew I had to do something to save us.
Despite my usual reservations, I pulled in my demon as we
approached a red light, knowing if I hit him while we were going
slower I’d have a better chance of keeping Meira and I safe. I
couldn’t care less about him. And I couldn’t worry about Erica.

As he hit the brakes, I lashed out with all
the power I could muster, my demon leaping out to shred him to
bits.

She slid over and off of him like oil on
water.

I was so stunned my attack failed I almost
missed the red glow in his eyes. He grinned.

In a rush of recovered memory, I recognized
that grin, those eyes, that shaggy black hair, only it dawned on me
the last time it was on something way more furry.

Jared was the black dog. I knew then he was
the traitor all along. He was a member of our coven for well over a
year, a young, eager witch fresh from another family, wanting a new
start. Erica adored him. They started dating right away. He
injected himself into our lives, our hearts, our power and used it
against us ever since.

“You’ve been following me,” I said.

“You were the only one who was a wild card,”
he answered. “They had no way of knowing if you could counteract
me. Now we know you can’t.”

“What are you?” I asked. “You’re not human, I
know that now.” The film of power I identified as Jared dissolved
like a skim of water down the sides of a glass. His public mind was
a carefully constructed mask. What emerged made my demon howl in
frustration.

The green magic was his.

“No, not human,” he answered. “Does it really
matter?”

“It does to me,” I said.

“I’m Fay.” His voice grated harsh.

No wonder he was able to hide from us. “A
fairy? But, there’s no such thing anymore.” Fairy magic was rumored
to be undetectable to human practitioners.

So why then could I feel it?

My demon shoved that faint question away, her
unhappiness surging inside me.

Jared laughed, but it came out bitter.

“No, not Sidhe,” he said, “not a fairy. Fay.
One of their slaves, a tool they use.”

“I don’t understand,” I said. My fairy
history studies had fallen to the wayside with the rest of my
training. Now I wished I paid more attention. If I embraced who I
was in the first place none of this would have happened. The
knowledge stabbed me in the heart as he answered.

“You aren’t meant to,” he said. “Syd, the
Sidhe exist, the fairy high council exists. But this isn’t their
doing.”

“The Moromonds,” I said.

“Yes,” he said. “The Moromonds. They supplied
the power I needed to hide among you, to shield what I really am.
You touched the edges of it a few times, enough I was forced to
take steps.”

The wards on Gram’s door. The black dog
sightings that just happened to occur every time something bad was
going down. It made total sense now.

“Why, Jared?” I demanded. “Why are you doing
this?”

“Batsheva has never been satisfied with the
power she was born with,” he avoided the question, answering
another. “I don’t know if you are aware, but she has hated Miriam
since they were little girls.”

“I didn’t,” I said. But hadn’t Uncle Frank
tried to warn me?

“She is so jealous of what your mother has,
of her status and influence, she went a little crazy with it. She
started out wanting to destroy Miriam, but it’s become so much more
since then.”

He shuddered beside me.

“She scares you,” I said, knowing it was
true, feeling it.

“She should scare you, too,” he said. “Her
plans have grown so big, so dark…” he trailed off, unable to go
on.

“You disagree with what she’s doing,” I began
to see a way out if I could convince him.

“Of course,” he said.

“Then why are you still helping them?” I
repeated the question. “Why don’t you help us?”

“Because,” he growled. The red glow returned
to his eyes as the black dog stared out at me, “I already told you.
I can’t. I have no choice.”

“Explain it to me,” I said. “Because from
where I’m sitting you have lots of choices, Jared.”

“It’s not that simple,” he argued. “She
raised me.”

“Sorry?” From what?

“Sleep,” he answered. “She called me from my
sleep and bound me to her with an offer I couldn’t refuse. And now,
for better or worse, she owns me and will until I get you and your
sister to the site.”

“You can’t be freed, Jared,” Meira whispered.
She sounded so sad. “You know the Sidhe won’t let you go.”

Jared refused to answer.

“He used to be human,” she told me. “A long
time ago. But he was very bad and the fairies are making him pay
for it. Like Sassy. Only he isn’t a good guy, are you, Jared?”

The truth dawned. “You aren’t who you are by
choice?” He didn’t answer but I made the intuitive leap. “And
Batsheva offered you what you’ve wanted since the Sidhe punished
you. A way to be human again.”

Jared snarled at me, but he wasn’t angry, not
really. There was too much frustration in him for that. “She seems
to think she can. She convinced me she can. I have to believe…”

“And if she can’t?” I prodded. “If she was
lying? What if she can but decides not to, Jared? Do you really
trust Batsheva Moromond to honor the agreement she made with you?
After everything she’s done?”

He was so quiet I didn’t think he would
answer. So, when he spoke, Meira and I both jumped.

“She has to,” he whispered. “Because if she
doesn’t…”

“What, you’ll destroy her?” I made a face. “I
think she’s past even your power, now.”

“No,” he said. “Not me. I won’t have to.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked. But
we were turning and I sensed we were at the site. He wasn’t going
to say anymore with Batsheva so close.

The black dog faced me down.

“Don’t give me any trouble,” he said. “Or
I’ll make sure your sister suffers for it.”

I glared right back. “You can’t touch us,” I
answered.

A searing pain tore through me as Jared’s
fairy magic penetrated my mother’s shield and left me gasping for
air.

“You can’t fight me, Syd,” he said. “Don’t
even try.”

Jared climbed out of the car, slamming the
door behind him. I took the brief moment I had alone with my sister
to whisper in her ear.

“First chance you get,” I said as I watched
Jared reached for the door handle on the other side of the glass,
“run, Meira.”

Jared hauled open the car door.

“Everybody out,” he said.

I unhooked the seatbelt, clutching my sister
to me as we left the car. I felt her struggle and set her down. She
held my hand, her face a mask behind her demon.

We followed Jared toward the pentagram
without being told.

When only the burnt out remains of the
bonfire remained between us and the circle, Meira broke away and
started to run. I saw our mother standing there, clearly free of
the spell. She lifted my sister up into her arms and held her
tight.

I would have kept walking if I hadn’t just
crossed the threshold. I felt what powered it. My heart stopped. I
looked up.

Uncle Frank and Sunny hung over me, staked to
two huge crosses. They were both very pale, worse even than when
they first woke. If I didn’t know they were vampires I would have
thought they were dead. Both looked pristine, despite the fact
their blood ran from multiple wounds to the ground to seal the
spell.

I would have cried if I had any tears left.
They were both unconscious. I knew they would have put up a fight
given the chance. It had to be a sleep forced on them before they
had a chance to rise. I glared at Jared as he crossed to Batsheva,
standing outside the circle. Dominic stood beside her. So did
Quaid.

“Welcome, girls,” Batsheva said. “We only
need one more and the whole family is here.”

I ignored her and went to my mother. Mom
released my sister and reached for me. I felt her arms go around
me. I clutched at her like a child, burying my face in her
hair.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I failed,
Mom.”

“No,” she whispered back. “You didn’t. I love
you.”

Her sweet, soft smile made me feel better
than I should have, considering. No matter what happened now, no
matter what Batsheva planned for us, we were together and would
face it as one.

I glanced at Meira. She clutched something
pale and damaged to her chest. I knelt next to her and met the
glowing yellow eyes of Sassafras. He looked horribly injured, most
of his fur missing, bloodied and battered, but he was alive and his
demon spirit burned within him.

I reached out and gently stroked what was
left of the silvery fluff on his tail, feeling more tears come
after all.

“Hey, Sass,” I said.

“Syd,” he whispered in answer.

“I’m sorry,” I told him, sorry I hadn’t been
able to save him that night.

He growled under his breath. “Don’t be. The
dog would have gotten you, too.”

Furious, I glared at Batsheva.

“Why?” I screamed at her. “What do you
want?”

She laughed from the other side of the shell
that held us.

“I would think that would be obvious by now,”
she said.

I made it to my feet. “This is about more
than power.”

“It used to be,” she agreed. “It started as
revenge on Miriam. Oh yes,” she beamed at my mother’s confusion,
“that’s right, my dear. I hate you. I always have hated you. You
with your perfect face, your perfect life, your perfect
everything.” Her voice fell to a hiss. I had an uncomfortable
instant remembering I thought about my mother that way myself.

“You were my friend,” Mom said.

“I was your shadow,” Batsheva snapped. “Until
now.”

She stretched her arms out and fed from the
circle. I felt my demon shriek as she weakened.

“Batsheva, you have to stop,” Mom said. “Your
soul will be lost forever for this.”

“My soul,” Batsheva snarled, “is none of your
concern. Besides, if this works the way it’s meant to I’ll never
have to worry about my soul, Miriam, because I will live
forever.”

Jared stepped up beside her. I wasn’t
surprised he couldn’t meet my eyes.

“How is that possible?” Mom said. “How was
any of this possible?”